Congratulations are due to everyone involved in Friday’s fall sports pep rally, which ushered in some welcome changes.

From a new tradition to a general improvement in format, this pep rally was the best one this class of seniors has seen. Athletic Coordinator John Saras, cheerleaders, band members, athletes, and participating teachers all deserve credit.

The cheerleaders brought excitement to the pep rally with a Baldwin High School twist to the song “Sweet Caroline,” having everyone shout “BHS” during the chorus.

The new cheer got students excited. As they cheered, students pulled out their cellphones and waved their flashlights in approval to imitate a concert-like atmosphere.

The pep rally also brought together teachers, athletes and the band to play a competitive game where they had to they throw balls into hoops. The game was exciting and humorous for students to watch as teachers and students fought to win the competition.

The fun atmosphere was a good change, since pep rallies have usually been dry in recent years.

In addition to this new tradition, students were glad to find that this was not yet another pep rally of sitting and waiting for every single athlete’s name to be called. In previous years, a team would be called down to the court and stand alongside every other team, and all of the athletes’ names would be read. This caused confusion, as spectators could not tell which team was which in the crowd on the court, and it made the pep rally far longer and less exciting than it could be.

The new method of calling down teams — having each team stand together on the court for a few moments, before returning to the bleachers — gave each team a moment in the spotlight, and it allowed more time for fun events, like the introduction of the “Sweet Caroline” tradition and the fun game.

Essentially, the new format put the “pep” back in pep rally.